Inside Pope Francis’ 9-day mourning: Complete schedule and details about the Novemdiales

With Pope Francis laid to rest, the Vatican is set to mourn the 88-year-old for nine days with the Novemdiales

Published on: Apr 27, 2025, 11:28:32 IST

By Yash Nitish Bajaj

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With Pope Francis laid to rest, the Vatican is set to mourn the 88-year-old for nine days with the Novemdiales. Cardinals will offer masses on all days, the first of which was held on April 26, at 10 AM local time in St. Peter’s Square.

Members of the Archdiocese of Caracas show portraits of Venezuelan saints Jose Gregorio Hernandez and Mother Carmen Rendiles during a mass (AFP)

“While these Eucharistic celebrations are open to everyone, each day a different group is scheduled to participate, based on their connection with the Holy Father. This diversity of groups reflects both ‘the scope of the Supreme Pastor’s ministry and the universality of the Church of Rome,’" Vatican News said.

The Novemdiales, nine days of mourning masses following the death of a pope, have the following schedule for days two through nine:

Day 2: Sunday, April 27, 10:30 a.m., St. Peter’s Square. Presided by Cardinal Pietro Parolin. Attendees: Vatican City employees and faithful.

Day 3: Monday, April 28, 5 p.m., St. Peter’s Basilica. Presided by Cardinal Baldassare Reina, Vicar General for the Diocese of Rome. Attendees: Roman Church.

Day 4: Tuesday, April 29, 5 p.m., St. Peter’s Basilica. Presided by Cardinal Mauro Gambetti, Archpriest of St. Peter’s Basilica. Attendees: Chapters of the Papal Basilicas.

Day 5: Wednesday, April 30, 5 p.m., St. Peter’s Basilica. Presided by Cardinal Leonard Dandri, Vice-Dean of the College of Cardinals. Attendees: Papal Chapel.

Day 6: Thursday, May 1, 5 p.m., St. Peter’s Basilica. Presided by Cardinal Kevin Joseph Farrell, Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church. Attendees: Roman Curia.

Day 7: Friday, May 2, 5 p.m., St. Peter’s Basilica. Presided by Cardinal Claudio Gugerotti, Prefect Emeritus of the Dicastery for the Eastern Churches. Attendees: Eastern Churches.

Day 8: Saturday, May 3, 5 p.m., St. Peter’s Basilica. Presided by Cardinal Ángel Fernández Artime, Pro-Prefect Emeritus of the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life. Attendees: Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life.

Day 9: Sunday, May 4, 5 p.m., St. Peter’s Basilica. Presided by Cardinal Dominique Mamberti, Protodeacon of the College of Cardinals. Attendees: Papal Chapel.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Yash Nitish Bajaj
Yash Bajaj is a Chief Content Producer with a strong foundation in US coverage, digital strategy, and audience-focused storytelling. As part of the US Desk at Hindustan Times, he covers a wide range of topics - from American politics to sports (NFL, NBA, derbies, MLB and more). Before joining Hindustan Times, Yash served as Deputy News Editor at Times Now, where he oversaw international coverage and led a team of six. In this role, he significantly expanded global traffic through strategic planning, SEO-driven content execution, and meticulous trend tracking across platforms. He is experienced in managing high-pressure breaking-news shifts, coordinating live coverage, and building newsroom systems that improve speed, accuracy, and reach. Prior to Times Now, Yash held a position at Opoyi, where he headed the Sports and US news team. He developed broad editorial strategies, guided reporters across multiple beats, and played a key role in recruiting and training new talent. His responsibilities also extended to social media management and experimenting with innovative content formats. A passionate NFL fan, Yash is a die-hard supporter of the Cincinnati Bengals and has followed Joe Burrow closely since his college days at LSU. Whether breaking down top players' latest performance, analyzing team performances, or tracking roster moves, he brings the same dedication and sharp storytelling to his sports coverage as he does to American politics and breaking news. When he’s not writing, Yash can often be found watching games or debating the latest NFL storylines with fellow fans. Yash holds a Bachelor of Mass Media (Journalism) from HR College, Mumbai University. His interests extend well beyond the newsroom: he is an enthusiastic explorer of AI tools, a movie buff with an ever-growing watchlist, and someone who enjoys unraveling conspiracy theories for fun.Read More

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